Omaha daily bee., 1887-11-27

about dark when they made their way
INTO the reservation, shooting and fir
ing rifles in the air and striving to in
cite the other Indians into an insurrec-
ton. One of the Interpreters was stand
ing in front of the traders store when a
member of the raiding party walked up
to him, pressed the muzzle of the gun
against his breast, then slowly raised it
above his head and fired it off. Fear
ing trouble, the agent sent for COM
pany of cavalry, and they arrived on
the scene the same evening, but no at
tempt was made to arrest the partici-
pants, owing to the darkness. The next
day, however, Sword Bearer, was
called into the agents Office
and given a good talking to.
According to the interpreter, who
was present at the consultation, the
medicine man was very naughty and
declared that he would never consent
to be arrested and locked up in the
guard house. That was the time he
should have been taken into custody
but the agent did not understand the
tenor of his remarks and permitted him
to 60 back to his people,"
'Things went on from bad to worse.
until finally was ordered to the reser-
walton and the aid of the military was
invoked to arrest the offenders. All
this time Crazy Head had been profess
learned that while he would talk very
smoothly when with us, as soon as he
returned to the tribe he would reverse
his language. This was demonstrated
the night preceding the skirmish in
which the medicine man was killed and
the Crows taught q lesson that | do not
think they will ever forget
The demand has been made for the
surrender of those concerned in the fir
ing into the traders store, one of whom
was Crazy Head S son. and who is one of
the eight prisoners now confined at
Fort Smelling. Indian police were de-
tailed to keep Crazy Head, Deaf Bull
and Sword Bearer under surveillance,
and while these three was consulting
together in a lodge, one of our men was
outside and heard their conversation.
Crazy Head was foremost in favor of
fighting the whites and cOunsellcd
strongly against surrendering the peo-
pie that we had demanded. The con-
versation was reported to me by day
break the moaning Of the fight and the
troops were posted where they could
command the situation. On an open
plain between the reservation and the
bluffs on the opposite side of the river,
the Indians were encamped and all
their movements were plainly visible
from our camp. Sword Bearer, accom-
panied by u single warrior, announced
to his followers that he would ride all
around us and that we could not harm
him. Accordingly he started out, way-
ing his saber, apparently unnoticcd by
the soldiers. Just as soon as he was
separated from his tribe some distance,
n company of cavalry was ordered to
intercept him and bring him into camp,
dead or alive. Sword Bearer OWNED
our motive, and, turning his horse, gal
loped back to his camp, the soldiers
pursuing him. The Indians opened
ranks to receive him, and when our men
were at close range firing began from
the Indian side and corporal was
killed and two soldiers were wounded.
To show the perfect discipline that
was maintained, not one OF the cavalry
men returned the fire, and il was
not until the Indians began second
attack that the welcome order came.
Then it was that Sword Bearer was
picked off by sharpshooter, and four
of his companions were killed by the
same fire. The troops began closing in
on them, whereupon the Indians scat
tered and sought safety on the reserva-
tions, the fall OF their leader having
very depressing effect. Such was our
position, that, had it been deemed de-
sirable, we could have covered the field